


Never More Than Friends

by RewriteThisStory



Category: Smash (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:42:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23495488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RewriteThisStory/pseuds/RewriteThisStory
Summary: He didn't know why it changed, just that one day it did- and life as he knew it ceased to exist....Ok, that was a bit of an exaggeration- he was the only one to notice the change- at least he hoped.And he was going to work hard to keep it that way.
Relationships: Karen Cartwright/Jimmy Collins
Comments: 7
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

Y’all. I have worked on this fic for far longer than I would like to admit. And by worked on, I mean write a bit, abandon it for months, come back, read over it, make a couple edits, leave it unopened for months, open and close it again, open it, add a few sentences… (rinse, repeat)

Years, y’all. It’s been years. (I was rather embarrassed when I looked up the date I started this fic…) Oh well. Life has been busy. Good, but so very busy.

Thank you to everyone who continues to read my Smash fics- we're a little fandom, but I do appreciate you all! I get so tickled when I have a new comment or kudo on one of my old stories. It keeps the desire to write alive- even if a lack of time often strangles it.

But I never gave up on this fic. And I’ve had a lot of fun writing it. Though it grew to about 3 times the size I imagined it when I started out. (I am REALLY glad I promised myself I wouldn’t start publishing it until it was finished! And I finally am!)

I think it’s about 20 chapters. (I haven’t finished actually numbering them yet...) I’ll post a chapter every couple days- I want to reread each one for typos/minor edits.

Alright- finally- the Jimmy/Karen college AU! (That I teased back in 2018 when I finally finished “Relationship”. And started writing long before that...)

*college in the mid 2000s as would be for Jimmy and Karen

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Chapter 1**

They were barely more than toddlers when Jimmy came to live with her cousin Kyle. Her parents brought her to meet her new ‘cousin’ the day he moved in.

It was years before they figured out they weren't actually related. Not that it mattered to them.

The three were inseparable- at school, on weekends- or in trouble. If you saw one, the other two weren't far behind.

And so their childhood went, school days which found teachers in their lounges groaning about having the ‘three amigos’ in the same class, which faded into lazy summers spent sticky with ice cream and popsicles to winters spent jumping in slush puddles and dodging Jimmy's snowball attacks.

Looking back, she supposed it was around middle school that she and Jimmy drifted into a more tactile friendship. They stood closer, heads or arms rested naturally on the other’s shoulders, and arms touched unconsciously as they sat close, studying together or watching TV. But despite nagging by their peers, they staunchly maintained their friend status. “She’s/ He’s practically my sister/ brother!” was screeched on more than one occasion when nosy classmates pressed the issue.

As they grew older and entered high school, their interests diverged. Kyle explored creative writing and joined a theater group, Karen joined the school chorus and became more serious about her dance classes. Jimmy dabbled in sports, but only baseball really stuck.

So Jimmy and Karen beta read story after story- impressed as their friend found his voice; Kyle and Jimmy brought flowers and led standing ovations at dance recitals and concerts; and Karen and Kyle pretended to like sports, bringing signs, eating ballpark popcorn and cheering loudly for their favorite player.

Despite their newfound interests, the trio still ended up most weekends sprawled on the floor while a movie played, mostly ignored, talking and laughing late into the night.

And most nights, just before morning dawned, Kyle would untangle himself from the pile they'd created as they dozed and turn off the TV which glared blue into the otherwise dark room. He would tug the blanket off the bed to cover his friends, and snag a quilt from the closet for himself before rejoining the others on the floor, and falling quickly back to sleep.

Nothing could separate them it seemed- they’d always planned to attend one of the larger universities upstate together, until Kyle accepted a scholarship to a small arts college.

He'd be just over an hour away they reassured themselves. And promises were made- they’d take turns visiting on weekends. Nothing would change- except they'd have no curfew and could eat ice cream for every meal until their brains froze.

Even so, the three hugged each other a little tighter the day their cars were packed and goodbyes were said.

Karen wiped her eyes with her thumb, “This is silly!” she huffed, “We're going to see you in like three weeks!” Despite her words, she hugged Kyle once more. “I'm going to miss you though! How can you not be down the street anymore?!”

Kyle laughed, hugging her back. “We'll talk every day,” he promised, squeezing her tight one more time.

Karen took a step back and Jimmy put his arm around her shoulders, “Hey,” he said, giving her a side hug, “I'll be two buildings away- visit any time.”

Kyle rolled his eyes dramatically, “What, you think she's sad I'm leaving? She's just already exhausted thinking about having to keep you out of trouble all by herself. You're a full time job for two people!”

“Hey!” Jimmy protested, dropping his arm. “I seem to recall it was HER idea to change Mrs. Houston's computer background while she had hall duty.” Karen giggled at the memory. “And YOU were totally the mastermind behind the English 3 Essay Scandal.”

Kyle's eyes widened innocently and he shrugged, “What? She said rewrite the ending of your favorite book… she wanted fanfic- we gave her _FANFIC_.”

“You almost got our entire class suspended…”

“Not the whole class! There were those three guys that wouldn't do it and like two others who just didn't turn anything in.” He grinned, remembering, “But my favorite was when Jessica and Beth illustrated their stories…” Jimmy nodded, grinning back at his friend- before he remembered his original argument.

“Whatever. Look- at least half the time I was in trouble, one of you,” he jabbed his finger at his friends, “were the ones who got me there. You can't blame it all on me!”

“It was you who orchestrated the April Fool’s Joke on Mr. Wills though.”

“Hey! EVERYONE thought that was funny but him. And he was always a dick.”

“You hated him- I thought he was kind of cute…”

“Eww Karen!”

“What? That accent... “ Karen shrugged.

“Besides,” Jimmy cut her off, “we hardly got into trouble at all for that- even the principal was laughing when we left her office!”

“Well, getting all of his furniture across the hall into Mr. Levitt’s room while he was at lunch _was_ pretty impressive. And I think Mrs. Rand liked us at LEAST a little. Our punishments could have been A LOT worse.”

“We had some fun…” Karen sighed.

Jimmy pulled her to his side again, giving her a reassuring squeeze, “And plenty more to come!” he promised, his voice overly cheerful. He dropped his arm and nudged her hip with his, “So cheer up, Eeyore! We’re going to college!”

“Not if we keep standing here,” Kyle observed drily. He raised his arm in mock solemnity, “I swear to IM, email or call at least twice a day and to make sure everyone knows I already have two best friends so applications for that position are closed.”

Jimmy rolled his eyes and shoved him toward his car. “On second thought, I don’t think we’ll miss you that much.” Kyle opened the door, grinning.

Karen gave Kyle one last hug, “See you soon. I can’t wait to hear all about it.”

“Can’t. Breathe. Karen.” Kyle joked when she didn’t let go.

“Right.” She stepped back, wiping her eyes.

Kyle angled in and closed the door. The engine came to life and he waved as he put the car in gear and pulled away from the curb. His two best friends leaned into each other as they watched him drive away.

\---

Karen and Jimmy stood in silence staring at the empty space Kyle had occupied just moments before. Her head rested against his, so he felt as much as heard her sigh. “Everything’s changing, isn’t it?”

Jimmy nodded gently, his temple brushing hers. He paused before he spoke, giving a half shrug, “Well, yeah. But that doesn’t mean it has to be bad- just different.”

“I don’t like different.”

Jimmy smiled, kissing her temple. “It might be a good thing- college is supposed to be fun!” He started walking her toward her car, “And we gotta go if we don’t want our roommates to steal the good beds.” He opened her door and gave her a small push toward it. “It’ll all be fine. You’re gonna kick ass in your classes and I’m going to make sure you have some fun.”

She gave a weak laugh, “And I get to make sure you don’t have TOO much fun- and make sure you GO to class.”

“We all have our parts to play,” he grinned. When her responding smile was tight he continued, “Come on, I’ll lead- just follow me- you’ll be fine. You’ll see.”

\---

Karen spent the trip lost in thought, glad to be able to follow Jimmy- which largely eliminated the need to concentrate on the unfamiliar route.

She thought back to picnics in the park and trips to Coney Island- riding the Cyclone and eating cotton candy- which got stuck in her braces until it melted into syrup. She remembered the unfortunate haircuts of middle school- her layered attempt at the ‘Rachel’ for example- Jimmy had called her Mushroom Head until it grew out. In hindsight, he had a point- though at the time she hadn’t felt so forgiving… she MAY have dumped her bowl of cereal on his head to ‘see if it was the same one they’d used for HIS haircut’.

She’s pretty sure her aunt and uncle were fighting smiles when she tried to explain why there was milk all over the dining room- though she was grounded from their house for the weekend.

She remembered nights out on the roof of her apartment building, trying to see the stars past the lights of the city. The three of them had been a trio for so long she felt like a piece of their puzzle was missing.

It was this thought that pulled her up short- any loss she felt had to be twice as bad for Jimmy- while Kyle was her cousin and one of her best friends- Jimmy and Kyle had grown up as brothers- even if there was no blood relation between them. And he was the one comforting her! She resolved to stop wallowing and to be there for him.

Easier said than done it turned out, as her mind continued wandering down memory lane- remembering birthdays and proms and late night study sessions.

Thankfully, her mind abruptly refocused on the present as they drove onto campus- her new home for the better part of the next four years.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's meet the roommates!

They parked and found check-in, getting their information packets, keys and directions to their dorms. They walked back to their cars, planning to find parking closer to their buildings. 

“Hey, let me drop off a couple things and I’ll come back and help you unload your stuff, ok?” Jimmy asked as he opened his car door. 

“Sure. I mean, you don’t have to-” Karen picked at her folder. 

“Karen-” he cut her off, “I’ll meet you at your building in like ten minutes.” 

“Ok,” she turned to unlock her door. “Hey and Jimmy?” He turned to look back at her, “Thanks for everything today- I really appreciate it.” 

He smiled, shaking his head before angling back into his car. “See you in a few!” he called as he closed his door. 

\---

Karen opened her unlocked dorm room door to find a brunette singing along with the radio as she unpacked her suitcase. 

“Um, hi?” Karen began tentatively. 

The girl turned, flipping her bangs out of her eyes. Her face lit up in a smile, “Hey!” she stuck out her hand, “I’m Ana. I guess you’re Karen?”

Karen nodded, “Karen Cartwright.” 

“Ana Vargas,” her new roommate returned, “I hope you don’t mind, I took the left side- it’s this thing I have…” 

Karen shrugged, looking around the room. It was a reasonable size, with one window centered on the wall across from the door. And there were two small closets, one to either side of the door- spanning the space between the door and the corner. The room, as expected, had two twin beds- one on either wall to the left and right. At the foot of each bed there was a narrow dresser against the wall. Beside the head of each bed was a desk. The desks flanked a small mini-fridge/microwave combo which was centered under the window, dividing the room in half. The window looked out over the circle where Karen had parked. 

A very efficient use of space- and very, very plain. The walls were white, the furniture simple- almost industrial- and the bare mattresses made the place feel foreign and unwelcoming. 

Karen looked at Ana’s side and saw a few framed photographs and a few books on her desk. Those small personal touches made her feel a bit more at home. “Hey, I’m gonna run down and get some of my things.” 

Ana nodded and Karen started to leave- pausing in the doorway, “Oh, and my friend Jimmy is going to come by in a bit to help- is that ok?” 

“Sure! The more the merrier- and those stairs are murder! But there was no way I was waiting for the elevator- that line was insane!” 

Ana went back to unpacking and Karen jogged down the steps. They were only on the third floor, but she was already dreading dragging her boxes and suitcases up the stairs. 

Jimmy was leaning against her car, waiting for her. “I was starting to wonder if you got lost.” 

“I was talking to my roommate- she seems nice.” Karen unlocked the car, pulling out the first box. “Did you get to meet yours?” 

“Nah, he wasn’t there yet- so I tossed my bag on the bed I wanted and came to find you.” 

“Well, you’re in luck- I’m on the third floor- so only three flights of stairs to hike up with all this stuff.” 

Jimmy shouldered a duffel bag and picked up a box, “Yeah, well, I’m on the eighth- I’ll be standing in line for the elevator before I climb that mountain again.” 

“Well, I’ll help- then you’ll only have to stand in line half as many times.” 

\---

And so, with each other’s help, they got settled in their new homes. Jimmy’s roommate arrived as they were bringing up the last load of his things, so they helped him bring his stuff up too. 

Once the worst of it was finished, Karen returned to her room to begin unpacking, leaving Jimmy with Bobby to get settled into their room. 

They dug through Jimmy’s CDs and found a mix they agreed on and they worked as it blared through his speakers. The music mostly drowned out the sounds of zippers, soft thuds and clicks as duffels were opened, books and belongings got placed on shelves and clothes were hung up. 

He paused when he picked up a framed picture Karen and Kyle had given him as a graduation gift. On the left, the three of them grinned on their first day of kindergarten- each clutching their brand new lunchboxes. On the right was a picture of the three of them at graduation, laughing at something Kyle had said just as the picture was taken. 

He gazed out the window, lost in thought. He hadn’t lived so far from Kyle since he was a baby. He couldn’t even remember his parents- not that they were much worth remembering. There was a good reason he’d gone to live with Kyle- more than one really... He shook his head and looked around his new home. 

His room was nearly identical to Karen’s, but his window faced inward toward campus, so he had a view of a green grassy area between a couple dorms and a few buildings where classes were held. If he craned his head to the left, he could see the corner of Karen’s building. 

Jimmy imagined Karen and her new roommate Ana were much more talkative as they unpacked. While he looked forward to meeting up with them for dinner later, he thought he should probably try to get to know his roommate a bit. They’d already established names, hometowns and majors as well as confirmed dinner plans with the girls while they were lugging boxes to their room- but that seemed kind of insufficient considering they were now living together. 

“So…” Jimmy looked around, trying to find something to break the silence. “I hear they have an ice cream machine in the dining hall…” Jimmy shook his head at himself. 

“Yeah?” Bobby said distractedly, his head buried in a box, digging around in the bottom. He sat up, loose papers and pictures in his hand, “Ice cream, huh? I could go for some ice cream. Normally I try to save ice cream for bad break ups and failed tests, but with as many steps as I carried these boxes today I think I can afford it.” He patted his tummy as he said the last. 

Jimmy laughed, “Yeah, if I had to carry another box up one more flight of stairs my feet were going to fall off. At least you only had to do it once!” 

“True..” Bobby looked at him out of the corner of his eye, “So… what’s the deal with you and Karen?” He paused, “I mean, you introduced her as your friend, but is it like a… friends with benefits situation or… ?” He waggled his eyebrows. 

Jimmy shook his head, “Nah, she’s been one of my best friends since we could walk. She’s the cousin of my adopted brother. The three of us grew up together.” 

“So you two never…” 

“What? No!” Jimmy shook his head again, more violently this time. 

Bobby held his hands up, “Ok, ok, just friends. No practice kissing, no benefits, I got it.” He hesitated a minute, “So are you gay? I mean, even I can admit she’s gorgeous.” 

Jimmy huffed a laugh, “No, I like girls. I’ve had plenty of girlfriends- well, some… plenty sounds… anyway... Girlfriends- just not Karen. Not like that. She’s a girl, who is my friend. That’s it.” Why was this hard for people to understand? 

Bobby muttered something under his breath that sounded like protesting too much, but Jimmy couldn’t quite make it out. 

“I think I’ve done all I can for now,” Jimmy attempted to change the subject, “Let’s head down for dinner. It’s about time anyway.” 

“Don’t wanna keep the girlfriend waiting, huh?” Bobby joked. 

Jimmy threw a t-shirt at him. “Dude.” 

Bobby laughed as they locked up and headed into the hall toward the elevator. Jimmy was walking another set of stairs... never. (Or at least not for the next few days…) 

Surely by now the line had died down. 

\---

The girls spent their time unpacking getting to know each other. They talked about their friends and family at home and shared funny stories- mostly sparked by photos and trinkets they placed carefully around the room. 

Finally, having exhausted most obvious topics, they worked for a few minutes in comfortable silence. 

Ana toyed with the shirt she was hanging up as she cleared her throat. “So, Jimmy…” she began, “He's your…?” She let the thought trail off.

“Best friend,” Karen replied immediately, long accustomed to the question. “We're practically family.” 

Ana cocked her head, “But not like… actually related?” 

“No, he's the adopted brother of my cousin. We grew up together.” 

“Hmm…” Ana considered the new information. They continued unpacking. 

“He's cute,” Ana offered a few minutes later. 

Karen nodded, “So I've been told.” She shrugged one shoulder, “Mostly I see the boy with braces and bowl cut who thought flannel over a Nirvana shirt was the height of fashion…”

Ana barked a laugh at the image. “Well, it kind of was…” 

Karen laughed too, remembering middle school and her own collection of flannel and overalls. 

“He's recovered well…” Ana mused. 

“We all did,” Karen joked, “You didn't see my braces or haircut.” 

And so the girls finished unpacking while telling hair horror stories and comparing the fashion faux pas of their youth. 

\---

The last of their boxes were broken down and their suitcases and duffels were being stored in the small closet when Karen's phone pinged. 

Jimmy: hungry? We're starving. Meet us downstairs? 

“Hey, Jimmy and Ky-” Karen paused, mentally shaking herself, “Jimmy and Bobby are asking about dinner- you hungry?” 

She saw Ana’s nod as her mind wondered how Kyle’s day had gone. She made a mental note to call him after dinner. 

Grabbing their keys and wallets, the girls headed downstairs to meet up with the guys.


	3. Chapter 3

Together the quartet walked to the dining hall, commenting on the people and campus that were part of their home now. 

It turned out there WAS an ice cream machine and they all enjoyed eating dessert before their meal as a toast to their newfound freedom. And as a reward for the massive amount of stairs they’d scaled that day. 

Throughout dinner, Ana watched Karen and Jimmy carefully. She noted their casual touches and the way they finished each others’ sentences. They occupied each others’ space with a familiarity that spoke of intimacy. Karen was pretty adamant that they were practically family, but Jimmy barely even blinked when Karen swiped fries off his plate. In fact, his only reaction was to bump her shoulder and joke that he’d gotten extra just for her. 

But when she grinned up at him through a mouthful of fries just managing, “Thanks!” around the mass of potato, Ana shrugged mentally. Maybe they did see each other as family. She gave up her surveillance and suggested they check out the student union. 

“Hey we should call Kyle first,” Karen suggested to Jimmy, “see how his day has been.”

“Yeah,” he agreed. He looked at Ana and his roommate, “We can meet you there? Like, ten minutes?”

Their roommates agreed and headed across campus. 

They'd just hit the sidewalk outside the dining hall when Ana turned to Bobby. “So… Jimmy and Karen…” Ana began.

“Yeah…” Bobby agreed. “Whaddya wanna bet they're sleeping together by the end of the semester?”

Ana considered, “That’s generous… I'm giving them two months.”

“Ten bucks?”

“You're on.”

The new friends shook on it, laughing. 

\---

“Kyle!” Karen exclaimed when he answered. “How are you? How's your room? Is your roommate nice? Have you eaten dinner yet? How's the food? Is there ice cream? Have you-”

Jimmy dropped his arm over her shoulder, “Ky, what Karen means is, how's the new place?” 

Karen nodded. 

“He can't see that,” Jimmy stage whispered.

Kyle laughed. “It's good! I'm good. My roommate seems ok. And I'm about to eat, so I'll let you know.” He paused, “I miss you guys.”

“We miss you too!” Karen called. “When are you coming to visit?”

“Uh… soon? Or you guys can come here.”

“I'm not sure when I became the voice of reason here, but let's all get settled first. Maybe a couple weeks?” Jimmy offered. 

“Yeah,” Karen and Kyle agreed together. 

“Probably a good idea.” Kyle changed the subject, “So tell me about your day!” 

Jimmy pointed in the direction of the student union. They began walking as Karen told Kyle about Ana and the Everest-esque climbs they made today to move in. Jimmy interjected when necessary and assured Kyle that while his new roommate was cool, he wasn't as awesome as the last roommate he'd had. 

Before long, they reached their destination and had to wrap up the call. 

“Speaking of new roommates, we're about to meet up with them, so we gotta go.”

“Yeah, and I'm starving, so…”

“We'll talk soon!” Karen promised.

They ended the call. Karen stared at the phone for a moment. “You think he's really ok?” 

“Yeah,” Jimmy nodded, “I mean, it's Kyle. He'll do great.” He took a breath, “So… ready to make some new friends?”

Karen nodded slowly, “I guess so! I mean, Ana seems cool.”

Jimmy agreed, “I think we got lucky, I'm sure there are some awful roommates out there.”

“Hey, neither seem to have brought bagpipes or an accordion, so…” Karen pretended to wipe her forehead, “Dodged a bullet there!”

Jimmy laughed as he opened the door, playfully pushing her inside. “Let's go before they give up on us.”

\---

Jimmy and Karen walked through the student center looking for familiar faces. They noted the small room of arcade games as they walked in and, past that on the left was a small bowling alley. On the other side were a collection of pool tables, which is where they found Bobby and Ana. 

The pair were racking the balls for a game when Karen and Jimmy arrived. “So,” Jimmy asked as he grabbed a cue, “what's the game?”

“I figured we could play as partners,” Ana replied. 

“But which partners is the question…” Bobby added with a smirk. “Boys against girls or Jimmy and Karen against Ana and me?”

“Well, I've never seen Ana play before, but I think I'll take my chances with her.” 

“Hey!” Jimmy protested.

Karen raised an eyebrow at him. 

He huffed, “Yeah like you're some pool shark. I seem to recall YOU managed to sink the cue while shooting at the 8 ball the last time we played.”

“Yeah, but at least I was trying for the 8 ball… you still had like three stripes on the table!” Karen bumped him with her shoulder. 

He lightly shoved her shoulder, “I had one! MAYBE two…” he hedged. 

Karen leaned against his shoulder, looking up at him with wide eyes. She nodded overdramatically, “Uh huh…” 

Ana and Bobby eyed the two friends who seemed to have forgotten the original question.

“So… me and Karen then?” Ana asked. 

“Yup!” Karen stood up straight and hopped across the small space to stand beside Ana. “Roommates versus roommates!”

Bobby looked at Jimmy, “I guess it's you and me, then.” 

Jimmy held out his fist and Bobby bumped it, “Let's show them how it's done.” 

Bobby rolled his eyes but nodded, laughing. 

Karen grabbed a cue and nodded to Ana, “Ready to kick some boy butt?”

Ana also laughed, rolling her own eyes. She and Bobby shared a look. One of them would be making some money this semester. 

\---

Though they were on opposite teams- and fiercely competitive- Bobby noticed it did not stop the small touches- Jimmy resting his arm around Karen's shoulder as they watched their new friends take their turns, the hip bumps as they tried to distract the other or the way they occupied each other's space- standing just closer than what would normally be considered personal space. 

Bobby hoped their years of denial would hold for at least the next few months. He wanted to win this bet...


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay... it seems weird to say, when you're not leaving the house, that time runs away from you... but it does... (And that whole tornado thing that happened...) 
> 
> But anyway... here's chapter 4! I'll try to do better about posting. (For the 3 or so of you reading this...) :)

Over the course of the next few days, Jimmy and Karen met more people on their halls, ate meals together (usually with Ana and Bobby too) and started classes. By day three of class they determined that a movie night was critical to their continued mental health.

They convened in the girls’ dorm, commandeering the small TV space on the hall. The four roommates had invited a few of their new friends, so they had a small group crowded together on the collection of couches.

Karen and Jimmy sat together on a piece of furniture that seemed as if it couldn't decide whether to be a small sofa or a big chair. Bobby declared it to be a 'chair and a half’ and Karen argued that there was no such thing- which prompted someone to procure a laptop and an immediate Google search was performed to determine who was right. Answer retrieved, they moved on to movie selection while Karen grumbled about made up furniture.

As they watched the hijinks of the team of robbers getting the best of a casino, they laughed, tossed popcorn and cheese balls across the small room and ate as much junk food as only a group of 18 and 19 year olds can. 

About an hour into the movie Karen rested her head on Jimmy’s shoulder. “I miss Kyle,” she sighed. 

She felt Jimmy’s nod in response. “Remember how many times he made us watch Good Will Hunting?”

Karen chuckled. “I still maintain his crush was on Robin Williams.” 

Jimmy tossed a piece of popcorn at her nose, “Only because you were unwilling to share Matt Damon…” 

She stuck her tongue out at him- which would have been wasted if not for his excellent peripheral vision- or the fact he would have known her response blindfolded. 

“He could have had Ben Affleck…” 

Jimmy shook his head gently. 

The movie continued and before long Jimmy felt Karen’s breathing slow as she dozed off. 

\---

Thursday evening found them eating pizza in Jimmy’s dorm, having decided to boycott the dining hall for the night. “I can only eat so much cafeteria food!” Karen declared when they met up after their last class. 

Ana and Bobby declined, opting to stick with the dining hall fare, citing finite sources of funds.

And though not admitted aloud, they wanted to give the two ‘best friends’ some space both for the sake of their bet and also their sanity. “Seriously, how have they not gotten naked together yet?” Ana wondered loudly as she and Bobby left the boys’ dorm. 

“I think alcohol may need to be involved… there are YEARS of repression to overcome here,” Bobby mused. “Wait… why am I helping you? I need them to stay all pent up until at least Halloween!” 

Ana laughed, “I’d wish you luck with that, but I doubt you’d believe my sincerity… also, have you SEEN them?!” 

\---

Jimmy and Karen sat on Jimmy’s bed, leaning against the wall and sharing their slices of pizza. They both had different favorites- in the past they had to order separate pizzas to accommodate Jimmy’s meat lovers, Karen’s peppers and onions and Kyle’s ‘everything but the kitchen sink (except anchovies)’- now though, they could order one pizza and go half and half. 

Jimmy held out his slice for Karen to try. “Hmm,” she mused as she chewed, “You’re right. Not as good as home, but not bad either. Definitely edible.” She held her piece out with a smirk. “Wanna try mine?” 

“Keep those gross green things away from me!” Jimmy pretending to shudder, pushing the offending piece of pizza away, “Salad does NOT belong on pizza!” 

She waved it in front of his face as he made fake gagging noises. 

A knock on the doorframe froze them in place, “Hey guys, wanted to let you know about a party tomorrow- you in?” 

The pair exchanged a look, “Sure!” they agreed in unison- which caused them to burst into laughter. 

“Great… uh, here’s the info,” he handed Jimmy a half sheet of paper, “bring $5 for the keg if you plan to drink and catch a ride or have a DD.” 

The guy disappeared from the doorway and Jimmy looked at Karen. “So… our first official college party!” 

Karen nodded slowly, “Don’t let me do anything TOO stupid, ok? I know that’s usually Kyle’s job but…” 

Jimmy scoffed, “Like you’ve ever done anything TOO stupid… we ALL know that’s my job.” But seeing Karen’s uneasy look, he sat on the edge of the bed in front of her. “I promise, Karen. Look, I’ll even DD if you want-” 

Karen shook her head, cutting him off, “We can get a ride- I want you to have fun at your first college party too- I’ll be fine. Like you said, I’m hardly the troublemaker of the group.” She gave a faint smile. 

“Alright, Cartwright,” Jimmy nudged her shoulder, “we studying, watching a movie or am I going to kick your ass on Xbox?”

Karen rolled her eyes, “I’m still eating dinner,” she grabbed his wrist and bit off another chunk of his slice. “But then I gotta work on an essay… that class is going to kill me!” 

“Homework it is,” Jimmy agreed as he finished what remained of his pizza. “I’ve never worked so hard for things that weren’t graded in my life!”


	5. Chapter 5

The issue of DD was settled when they learned that there was a shuttle that was taking people to and from the party. 

The party was going strong when they arrived around 10. There had been some disagreement about what time to arrive. Karen was insistent that the invite said the party started at 9 and Ana was equally adamant that no one actually arrived until later. 

The shuttle dropped them at what seemed to be a small farm house with a large yard, several miles from campus. Most of the crowd was gathered behind the house, though a few hung out inside. 

They passed through the house to the backyard, handed over their money, got their cups and made their way through the mass of people to the kegs. 

Cups full, they stood on the edge of the gathering to people watch. Bobby and Ana enjoyed dissecting the outfits of the party goers and making fake bets on who'd be leaving the party together (and how many would remember the name of the other the next morning…)

The pair also kept an eye on their roommates, who stood closely together, as was their habit, while they made conversation. About what no one could say- between the music and the crowd you almost had to yell in the ear of the person next to you.

“Bobby!” 

At the sound of his name, Bobby turned to greet a tall young man who was approaching the group. 

“Hey! I didn't know you were coming,” he gestured with his chin, “great party though, huh?”

“It's quite the crowd,” the newest member of their group agreed. 

Ana quirked an eyebrow and elbowed Bobby, “So are you going to introduce us or what?” 

Jimmy and Karen moved closer to join the small group. 

“This is Dev. He's in my Western Civ class.”

“Yeah, our professor is a piece of work.”

“Is this the one who kicked out the guy because his cell phone went off?” Karen asked, remembering the story from dinner a few days ago. 

“Yup!” Dev and Bobby chorused together. 

“I triple check that mine is on silent now!”

“You're braver than me, mate- I turn mine off before I walk in the building!” 

Ana elbowed Bobby again. “And, this is Ana, Jimmy and Karen,” he added hastily. 

Dev nodded at them, “Pleased to meet you.”

Bobby noted the appreciative looks Dev and Karen were giving each other. In the interest of his bet he decided to give them a nudge. 

“So, Karen, Dev is from England…”

Karen nodded, “So what brings you to the US?”

“School,” Dev laughed, “or at least that’s what I’ll swear to my parents. But the truth is, I’d always wanted to visit New York City, so I only applied to schools in New York- I _may_ have told my parents that I applied to some schools in country, but when all of my acceptances were to schools in the States, they agreed to let me go.” 

The group laughed.

Karen and Dev fell into easy conversation and Jimmy, Bobby and Ana chatted with other classmates who had joined the party. It seemed half the university came out to celebrate the end of the first full week of school. 

\---

As the evening progressed, beer flowed continuously and more people joined the now crowded dance floor, Karen and Dev among them. 

Ana stood with Jimmy nearby, sipping their drinks and enjoying the celebration going on around them. She'd noticed him watching Karen and Dev closely as the evening went on.

But she was a bit surprised when he turned sharply toward her, “You think that Dev guy is…” Jimmy began before trailing off- as if he didn't know how to finish his thought. “I mean...” he cast about for words, “he lied to his parents to come here,” he finally finished lamely.

Ana looked at him and raised an eyebrow in amusement, “Like you never lied to YOUR parents?”

Jimmy scoffed, “Well, no- I mean, I did, but my lie never cost them thousands of dollars…”

“But they were going to pay that anyway wherever he went to school…”

“AND,” Jimmy interrupted, “never took me out of the country.”

Ana shrugged, “He saw a way to do something he’d dreamed of and he took it…” She looked over to where the two were dancing. “He’s clearly driven- it’s kinda hot…”

She glanced at Jimmy and found him watching the pair move together to the beat of the music. His face held no clearly defined emotion, concern maybe, would be the closest, but the set of his jaw read almost as irritation. He made a noise in the back of his throat. 

She couldn't help but think that the bet may be nearly won.

Ana grabbed his arm, “Come on, let's dance.”

Jimmy made a few feeble protests about not dancing and not having enough drinks in him, but it fell on deaf ears. 

She snagged Bobby and a guy he was talking to on their way to the makeshift dance floor. They joined the crowd and jumped, danced and sang along. 

\---

Jimmy had tried hard not to stare at Karen and Dev dancing. But he did try to keep count of how many cups she'd had. She'd asked him to look out for her, after all. And he needed to make sure he knew where she was for the same reason, so it made sense his eyes kept finding her in the crowd. 

As she made her way to the keg (for the fifth time in three hours) he broke away from the group and joined her. 

“How ya doing?” he asked as he caught up to her. 

“I'm good!” she replied, words less articulate than usual. 

“Uh huh,” Jimmy nudged her shoulder and she stumbled a bit. 

“Jimmy!” she giggled. 

He plucked her cup out of her hand, “I think you've had enough tonight,” he teased her. 

She made a grab for the cup and stumbled again. She caught herself by grabbing his arm. She giggled again, leaning heavily against his shoulder, “Ok, you might be right.” 

Dev appeared at that moment, “Everything alright?” he asked in that accent of his. 

Karen looked up at him, “Yup!” she answered brightly. 

“Do you want to go dance? Or can I get you something to drink?”

“Dude, she's already drunk,” Jimmy protested. 

Dev turned to face Jimmy, drawing himself up to his full height, “I'm sure we could find some water in the house for her.” He spoke slowly, as if explaining things to a simpleton. 

“I'm good for now,” Karen pushed herself up from Jimmy's shoulder and swayed. 

“Maybe we should head back,” Jimmy put his hand on Karen's back to steady her. 

“Maybe Karen can decide for herself,” Dev challenged, eyeing Jimmy's arm. 

Karen looked between the two, “I probably should get home, but,” she pulled out her phone, “give me your number and I'll text you so you have mine.” 

Dev grinned and rattled off his number. After a couple tries, and Dev’s help- which, to Jimmy's annoyance, seemed to require Dev's arms around Karen and her hands cradled in his (and a lot of laughter from both)- Karen stored his number, typed a short message and pressed send. He pulled out his phone and grinned. 

“I'll call you tomorrow, maybe we can have dinner if you're feeling well enough.” 

Karen beamed at him. “Talk to you tomorrow! It was dance niceing with you!” she called over her shoulder as Jimmy began to lead her away. She giggled then, “I mean…” she waved her hand dismissively, “you know what I mean.”

Jimmy shook his head, “You are so drunk.” 

“Yup!” Karen popped the 'p’. “It was my first college party, right?” She shrugged, “Seemed like the thing to do.” 

They got back on the shuttle and Karen rested her head on Jimmy's shoulder- and everything seemed to click back to normal again. 

“Tonight was fun,” she sighed sleepily. 

Jimmy nodded, “It was.”

“And Dev was cute,” she giggled. 

Jimmy rolled his eyes, “Yeah, totally dreamy,” he drawled sarcastically. “You just like his accent. You've had a thing for accents since you watched that Heath Ledger chick flick.”

Karen laughed, “Which one?” She elbowed him, ”And don't act like you didn't like _A Knight's Tale_ \- or think that Julia Stiles was super hot in _10 Things I Hate About You_.” She yawned, “And Heath Ledger is Australian, Dev is British- totally different.”

Jimmy chuckled, “Whatever.”

When the shuttle dropped them off at the small lot near their dorms, Jimmy shook Karen awake. “Come on, let's get you some water, some Advil and into your bed.”

“Why are you so rational and sober?” Karen grumbled.

“Because I didn't try to drink half a keg by myself.”

“I didn't drink half a keg! You took my cup!”

“And I'm still going to drink water and go to bed if it makes you feel better.”

They got past the lobby guard without Karen drawing undue attention to the fact that she was less than sober and got on the elevator. 

She leaned on the wall but wobbled when the elevator began moving. Jimmy caught her arm and moved himself closer so she could lean on him for support. 

Karen smiled at him, “Thanks for looking after me tonight. I've got you next time.”

Jimmy made a dismissive noise in his throat and waved her off. They could plan the next party after she'd recovered from this one. 

The elevator shuddered to a stop and they walked down the hall, both lost in their own thoughts. 

It wasn't like she'd never drank before. There had been beer at some of the high school parties they'd been too. But she'd never been this drunk. Tipsy a time or two, but Jimmy and Kyle (ok, mostly Kyle) had gotten her sober enough to make it past her parents. She really didn't have much of a tolerance- and she usually stopped after one or two. 

Jimmy had been drunk a couple times but the inevitable hangover was usually enough to encourage moderation. Once he saw Karen going for round three tonight, he mostly stopped drinking to make sure she was ok. Especially with tall, dark and British all over her. 

Karen clearly liked Dev though- and Bobby seemed think he was alright…

Jimmy's line of thought came to an abrupt halt when Karen suddenly paled, clapped her hand over her mouth and headed for the bathroom. Jimmy followed and held her hair. 

When the worst seemed to have passed, he helped her up, ignoring her request to sleep on the bathroom floor and led her to her room. 

He opened a bottle of water and insisted she drink it. And found her Advil and had her wash down a few of those too. 

“Thank me tomorrow- actually,” he paused, “you'll still feel like crap, but it'll be better crap than you'd feel like if you didn't.” 

“Aye, aye oh great, wise hangover master.” She rolled her eyes as she laid down in bed, “Any other words of wisdom?” 

“Yeah,” he said, putting the trash can near her head, “drink less.”

She stuck her tongue out at him and he tucked her hair behind her ear. 

“Call me when you wake up and I'll bring you part two of my hangover recovery system.“ He headed for the door. 

“You have a system?” 

“I learned a few things from the baseball team.” 

“Good point. I think Matt spent most of senior year drunk or hungover.”

Jimmy nodded. “You gonna be ok?” Jimmy asked, pausing at the door, his hand on the light switch. 

“Yeah, Ana texted me to say she was on her way back.”

Saying goodnight, Jimmy headed for his own dorm and bottle of water. He was looking forward to sleeping in the next morning. The first week of classes was already kicking his ass.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about disappearing... time is weird these days... I'll try to do better.

The next morning, Karen woke up with a headache and a stomach that felt like it (barely) contained the ocean. She rolled over and groaned. 

Ana looked over from her spot at her computer. “Morning, sunshine!” 

Karen groaned again. 

“So, you had a good time last night…” Ana hinted. 

“Yeah. Maybe a little TOO good…” Karen reached blindly for her phone. Squinting at it, she typed a brief message. 

Karen: awake. need cure. send help.

She let the phone clatter to the desk and immediately regretted the noise. 

Ana was undeterred, “So... last night. Dev. Spill!” 

“Um, he’s cute? And he seems nice. And that accent…” Karen nearly sighed. 

“So, are you going to see him again?” Ana pried. 

“Maybe… he mentioned getting dinner tonight.” Karen’s stomach rolled at the thought of food. “Though I may have to take a raincheck on that…” 

“And Jimmy?” Ana raised an eyebrow. 

Karen looked at her, somewhat confused, “What about Jimmy?” 

“Anything I should know there? I mean, he took you home last night, tucked you in…” Ana trailed off suggestively. 

Karen rolled her eyes, “He held my hair while I threw up and then gave me water and Advil.” 

“What, no goodnight kiss?” Ana teased. 

Karen threw her pillow at her, “Yeah right, between the throwing up and the fact that HE. IS. MY. BEST. FRIEND. I think we skipped that.” 

As if talking about him conjured his presence, Jimmy appeared in the doorway. “Knock, knock.” He held up a bag. “I come bearing gifts.” 

Karen sat up gingerly, “My hero!” 

Ana raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Instead she turned back to her computer and pretended not to eavesdrop. 

Jimmy sat on the edge of Karen’s bed, “I'm not even gonna ask how you feel, because we all know the answer to that so…” he reached in his bag and pulled out McDonald's french fries with a flourish. *Step 1- grease and salt, Step 2- Coke.” He handed her a McDonald's cup, “I'm not sure what it is that helps here, but it does.”

He got up and walked over to the case of water they had on top of their mini-fridge, “And Step 3,” he sat back down on her bed as he set the bottle firmly on the desk that doubled as her nightstand, “re-hydrate.”

Karen saluted, “Yes, sir!”

He nudged the fries. “Seriously, eat a few.”

Karen eyed them warily, unsure how her stomach would feel about the matter. 

“Trust me.” Jimmy turned to Ana, “Back me up here?”

“Are you saying that you think I have experience curing hangovers?” Ana asked, feigning indignation.

Jimmy cocked an eyebrow. 

Ana heaved an overdone sigh, “Yeah ok, he's right. Though I usually go for Wendy's fries and a double stack.”

Karen turned a bit green at the thought of a burger. 

“One thing at a time,” Jimmy held up the box of fries, shaking them at Karen. 

She sighed and took a few out, “I guess it's worth a shot...” She chewed them, took a sip of Coke and waited. When nothing awful… arose… she ate a few more. 

Feeling a bit better, she finished the box and sipped happily from her Coke. Jimmy handed her some Advil and her bottle of water. 

Jimmy moved so that his back was against the wall near the foot of the bed. “So, movie time?”

Karen nodded, silently thanking anyone that was listening for Jimmy. 

\---

Over the next week, classes picked up and Karen and Jimmy had less time to call Kyle, but they made sure to keep him updated with quick messages. 

Karen sent Kyle an email with a picture of Jimmy taken in the dining hall with his mouth full of fries. “You can see college has improved his manners.” 

When Jimmy found out, he sent Kyle one with a picture of Karen sleeping, mouth open and snoring on her textbooks after attempting an all nighter. He titled it “Sleeping Beauty”. 

They texted him a grainy cell phone picture of themselves at their first football game with a message that read, “wish you were here”. 

Kyle texted back that he wasn’t sad to miss football, but he missed them. 

\---

Karen and Dev's dinner was planned for Saturday night. After her rough start to the previous Saturday she didn't feel up for it and Dev already had plans for Sunday. 

So, Karen attended her first college football game in the afternoon and spent the hour or two after in her dorm getting ready for her first date with Dev.

He was taking her to dinner and then to a friend's improv show. 

Ana got back to the dorm about halfway through Karen's preparations and was now helping to put the finishing touches on her hair. 

Ana pulled the curling iron out of the ringlet of brown hair. It fell in a loose curl down Karen's back. “You know you can call or text me if you need to- and if you aren't coming home, you better let me know. Or I might call the cops.” She wrapped another section of hair around the curling iron.

Karen raised her eyebrows at Ana in the small mirror.

“Don't look at me like that! He seems nice enough, but we barely know him. What if he's secretly a serial killer and moved across the ocean to go to school because he's running from the law?”

“I…” Karen began, “I don't even know where to start with that… ok, first, if you want to get picky, I've only known you about ten days longer than I've known him.”

Ana stuck her tongue out at Karen and gave her hair a tug.

“Ow!” Karen elbowed Ana in the thigh in retaliation. “Second, YOU were all excited for this date the other day! You practically went through the roof when I told you about it.”

“Hey, I didn't say he wasn't cute- just that you should be careful!” 

“I will,” Karen promised. She turned to look at her roommate, “You're as bad as Jimmy. I'm going to spend ten minutes on the phone if we decide to get ice cream after the show so that campus security doesn't track us down. Who would have thought I'd go to college and still have a curfew!” 

“We’re just looking out for you.” Ana set the curling iron aside and sat down at her computer to check messages. “You're welcome, by the way.” Ana shot Karen a grin. 

“Thank you,” Karen gave her roommate a smile in return. 

“Well, I'm going to head downstairs, Dev should be here any minute.”

“Should I come down and take pictures?” Ana teased. 

Karen whipped her head around to playfully glare at her roommate, “I'll hide all of your shoes.” 

Ana’s jaw dropped in mock outrage, “You wouldn't!” 

Karen pointed at her roommate, “Stay.”

Ana laughed, “Have fun!” 

Karen waved behind her as she left the room.

“Don't do anything I wouldn't do!” Karen heard Ana call as she walked toward the elevator.


End file.
